Still no time for an essay-like post, and we’re going on a much needed mini-break to Laguna Beach this weekend, so here’s something to hold you over — a list of literary magazines that fans of Rattle could also be fans of, at least in my estimation.

Perhaps surprisingly, I’m not all that current with literary magazines; when I first starting working here, the stack of exchange copies was enticing, and I dove in headlong.  But in the time since I’ve come to enjoy collections of poetry more than individual poems, and I figure, I have to read so many poets anyway, I might as well keep my pleasure-reading concentrated on the poets I know I’m going to like.  So I can’t guarantee that this list is complete, or even be certain that it’s still accurate.  These days, the magazines come, and I skim them.  They don’t seem to change significantly year-to-year.

So if you like reading Rattle, you might want to check out these magazines, which also publish our brand of poetry — which might be called intelligently accessible:

MARthumb1. Mid-American Review (website).  The editors have good taste, and that’s all that really needs to be said.  The poems are always lyrical and imagistic and interesting, but are rarely pretentious.  They publish outstanding flash fiction and prose poetry with their Fineline Competition.  And their issues are well-designed, with good, vibrant cover art and a classy layout.  My praise has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve got two poems in their most recent issue — MAR was one of my favorites way before they published me.  The only knock: Even with a recent upgrade, the website is very 1.0, and doesn’t do the print version justice.  I mean, they don’t even resize thumbnailed images.

Margiethumb2. Margie (website).  It should be no surprise that Margie reads like a thicker, less frequent, version of Rattle – I’ve heard that Robert Nazarene and Rattle’s previous editor, Stellasue Lee, corresponded quite a bit as they learned how to put the two magazines together.  A decade later, we still swap poets like partners at Woodstock.  I counted 23 poets in their forthcoming issue that we’ve published recently, as well, and I quit in the Ns.  So if you can’t get enough of that “intelligently accessible” poetry and can’t wait for our next issue in December, order some Strong Medicine.  Extra points for all-poetry.  The only knock: The graphic design leaves something to be desired, and despite being more useful than MAR‘s, the website is also very 1.0, complete with scrolling marquee text.

TinHousethumb3. Tin House (website).  Great writing — including fiction that I actually enjoy — great design, great website.  They don’t publish much poetry, relative to fiction, particularly if you go by page-count, and they lean heavily big-name…but the big names who are actually good, and I suspect they have the integrity to say No to the big names who aren’t any good.  The only knock: An air of eliticism.  They’re the handsome, funny, smart bachelor who never gets the girl because he’s too perfect.  There must be something wrong with him, right?  He must be a cannibal…  I know — publish more than 13 poems in an issue!!!

Alehousethumb4. Alehouse (website).  Another journal with Rattle-ish poetry, this one younger, just three years old, and published by Jay Rubin out in San Francisco.  To be honest, I only read one copy, but that was enough to leave me impressed.  Strong work, with a simple, tasteful, playful aesthetic.  Extra points for all-poetry.  The only knock: Another website that serves only as a submissions funnel.  Can I get a few sample poems, at least?  (ETA: It’s been brought to my attention that Alehouse only accepts unsolicited submissions through their contest, which means you have to pay to send them work.  When I made this post, I was thinking in terms of magazines you might like to read, not really thinking of submissions, but even so, I’m disappointed to hear about that policy.  You should never pay to send a magazine your work, even to a contest, unless you really want to enter the contest.  There are plenty of magazines who would be happy to read your work for free.  If you want to submit work, instead check out Crab Creek Review, which would have been #7 on my list if ordered by the case, and a few commenters have already mentioned.)

barrelhousethumb5. Barrelhouse (website).  I get them confused with Alehouse, but they have absolutely nothing in common. (What’s with all the “houses”?)  Barrelhouse is about as edgy as a Rattle reader might want to get — as an editor, I try to keep the old Rattle aesthetic, and my own tastes mostly align, but I really love when poetry goes surreal.  So if you enjoyed poems like “Considering the Trebonites” or even better “The Preakness,” you’ll love what Barrelhouse is cooking.  The only knock: As with all things edgy, their hipster-irony can get a little tedious at times.

Subtropicsthumb6. Subtropics (website).  This magazine is only a few years old, but has a lot in common with Mid-American Review. I don’t know the editors personally, but I know they have good taste.  Everything is simple and classy — they know good writing is all you need to blow your hair back, and they find the writing to do it.  Paying the poets well probably helps.  The only knock: I don’t know…  Maybe just that they’re still young, and I don’t trust big coastal universities not to get pretentious.

As I said, the list isn’t by any means extensive, just a summary of what I’ve read and am willing to recommend.  Comment if you’re a fan of Rattle, and have other magazines to recommend.

Next week I’ll post the list of lit mags that I envy and respect as an editor, which is a different group entirely.